> Dana wrote: > you need to take into account the force the surface is exerting on the pencil,
Yup, I think it's just a simple force diagram: at any given point on the pencil, no matter the size or location, you can draw force vectors and, when you add them all up, predict the motion of the pencil. The issue I think you're getting at is in a category of physics problems sometimes referred to as "deformable body mechanics"; you attempt to predict the outcome of applied forces on a material that will "deform" when a force or forces are applied to it. I think the exact answer to your question is that the transmission of the force applied at one end of of the pencil (or one point on any mass) is via the weak nuclear force, one of four fundamental forces (weak & strong nuclear forces, electromagnetism, and gravity). I say that because I think it's the weak nuclear force that holds atoms together. Therefore if you apply a force to one atom it will drag the other atoms along for the ride as the weak nuclear force dictates. But maybe I'm totally wrong. It's been 15 years since I had physics :) ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~| Upgrade to Adobe ColdFusion MX7 The most significant release in over 10 years. Upgrade & see new features. http://www.adobe.com/products/coldfusion?sdid=RVJR Archive: http://www.houseoffusion.com/groups/CF-Community/message.cfm/messageid:236039 Subscription: http://www.houseoffusion.com/groups/CF-Community/subscribe.cfm Unsubscribe: http://www.houseoffusion.com/cf_lists/unsubscribe.cfm?user=11502.10531.5
